Soul of Dragons
by opaltiger
Summary: CHAPTERS SEVEN, EIGHT, NINE UP!::A new trainer starts his journey in Hoenn, with a most peculiar Pokemon...::Do I detect a hint of plot?
1. New Beginnings

Foreword

This is my very first Pokemon fic, so I hope you enjoy it. If anyone is interested in Yu-Gi-Oh, I've also got a fic called 'A World of Questions' there. That's about all, so onto the story!

Soul of Dragons 

**Chapter One: New Beginnings**

BZZZZZZT!

Ten-year-old Dain Evri awoke to the sound of his alarm, and stopped only to slap the snooze button on his Pokemon clock.

Five minutes later, the alarm rang again. After several cycles of bzzzt, snooze, snore, Dain remembered why he had set the clock.

He rushed into his bathroom for a shower, then cursed as the alarm rang again. He stepped out, turned it off, and dove back into the warm water.

He hurriedly got dressed, eager to get out of the house. For today was the day he got his first Pokemon!

He ran downstairs for breakfast, gulping it all down in seconds, and rushed out the door with a hurried 'Bye, Mum,' and was gone.

Dain ran all the way to Littleroot Town, from his house in the forest. He entered the town, thinking about which Pokemon he should choose. _Mudkip, Treecko, or Torchic? _He asked himself_. _Then again, sometimes Professor Birch gave away special Pokemon of rare types. Dain hoped it was one of these days.

As he entered the lab, he noticed two other trainers, a boy and a girl, already there. He knew the boy, Scott Birch, a cousin of the Professor.

'Ah, Dain, It seems you've finally arrived,' The Professor said. 'Now, I know you've all been thinking about which of the starting Pokemon – Treecko, Mudkip or Torchic - to pick, but I've a pleasant surprise for you. You see, every so often I give away very rare types – generally Dragon, Steel, and Electric. Which is exactly the three types I have for you today. You may choose from Aron, a Steel, Pichu, an Electric, or Bagon, a Dragon.'

Dain could barely contain his excitement. He knew which one he'd choose, if he could.

'Sarah, you pick first,' Birch said, nodding to the girl.

She studied the Poke Balls, then chose the one containing Pichu, the Electric type.

_Mines still there,_ Dain thought.

'Now, Scott you chose.'

Scott looked at the Poke Balls, wondering, lingered on Bagon, then chose Aron. Dain could here something about 'Dragons being too strong for a starter.' 

'And now, Dain, not much of a choice for you, is there?' Birch smiled.

Dain grinned. 'Who cares, I wanted a Dragon anyway.' He took the Poke Ball from the stand, and laughed aloud. 'Yes!'

He and the others headed for the door, but Birch stopped them. 'Wait I have something for all of you,' he said.

The three newly made trainers turned around. The Professor handed each A Pokedex, the new Aldieb version, and a small bag. Dain looked inside, and could see four Poke Balls, but couldn't determine what kind they were.

'Go, now, and good luck!' Birch told the now departing trainers.

***

Dain walked home at a much slower pace, still grinning. 

He walked into his house, and collected his bag.

Going downstairs, he found his mum preparing lunch.

'Here, Dain, you might need these,' she said, handing Dain some potions.

Checking the bag Birch had given him, he took out the Poke Balls, and gasped.

Three were black, with a yellow stripe, Ultra Balls! The other was blue, with a silver 'D' on the top half. Next to them was a note-

_Dear Dain,_

_These three Ultra Balls are a present from your father. The other, however, is a very rare ball - a Dragon Ball. These balls are very good at capturing Dragon-type Pokemon. Use it well._

_Professor Birch_

He showed his mum his new Pokemon, then headed out and onto Route 101 to Oldale Town.

As he neared the town, a wild Zigzagoon blocked his path. Dain took out Bagon's Poke Ball, and threw it. 'Go, Bagon!'

The bluish Dragon appeared, and looked at the rodent menacingly.

'Bagon, use Headbutt!'

'Bagon, Ba, Ba,' Bagon said, and launched himself at the other Pokemon. The iron ridges on his head connected with the Zigzagoon, and threw the zig-zag Pokemon away.

The Zigzagoon turned, and ran away.

Dain sighed, and continued along the path. It didn't take long to reach Oldale, a small, partially ruined town. He stopped at the Pokemon Center to heal his Pokemon, then, seeing nothing else to do, continued to Petalburg City.

Once again, though, the path was blocked. This time, by a Swablu.

Dain had seen Swablu before, flying above Littreroot.

Once again he threw the Poke Ball, and Bagon appeared.

'Bagon, Bite attack!' Dain commanded, and the Dragon bit down hard on the opposing Pokemon.

The Swablu righted itself, and looked angrily at the small Dragon.

'Now, Bagon, Headbutt!' The Dragon attacked again.

This time the Swablu swayed, and fell from the sky.

Dain took out an Ultra Ball and threw it at the Pokemon. It changed into red energy, and the Ultra Ball closed.

The mechanism shut quickly, and Dain grinned at the ball. His very first caught Pokemon!

***

'Look, the kid caught a Pokemon!' A women with long, blond hair, remarked.

Her partner, a man with short black hair, looked through his binoculars. 

'Already? I thought it would take him longer!'

He brushed the red bandanna out of his eyes, then focused once again on the young trainer.

***

Dain had reached Petalburg City. It was much larger than Oldale, and it had a Gym. It's Leader, Norman, though, had a four badge limit before anyone could take him on. Dain intended to get those four badges.

Seeing nothing else to do, Dain healed his Pokemon and continued on. As he left the city, a boy about his age blocked the path.

'Hey, you, how 'bout a battle?' the kid asked.

Dain looked at him, and nodded.

'Right. My name's Alan. Prepare to lose!'

Dain only smiled.

'Go, Poochyena!'

The small, dog-like Pokemon appeared.

Dain threw a Poke Ball, and Bagon appeared.

'Poochyena, Bite!'

The Pokemon launched itself at Bagon.

'Dodge it, Bagon!'

Bagon jumped out of the way. 'Now, Bagon, attack!'

Bagon released a stream of water from his mouth, surprising Dain. _Water Gun?_

The water hit Poochyena, and the dog barely remained standing.

'Now Bagon, finsh it off, Bite!' Bagon bit down hard on the Poochyena, and the Pokemon crumpled.

'Poochyena, return! Go, Zigzagoon!'

The zig-zag Pokemon appeared on the field, looking at Bagon.

Dain took out another Poke Ball. 'Bagon return! Go Swablu!'

The cotton-bud Pokemon appeared and looked with interest at its opponent.

'Swablu, Peck!' Swablu swooped from the sky, knocking Zigzagoon down.

The Pokemon stood up again, and looked at it's trainer for instruction.

'Zigzagoon, Headbutt!' Swablu was knocked from the sky by the powerful, Headbutt, but countered with a stream of air.

'Swablu, one more Gust to finish it off!' Swablu released one more blast of air, and Zigzagoon fell.

'Zigzagoon, return!' Alan ordered, and looked at Dain. 'You win. Good battle.'

Dain nodded, and continued along the path to Rustboro City.

To be continued… 


	2. Loss

Author's Note: In a review, someone remarked that Dain didn't show enough care for Bagon. I agree, so I'll try to make this chapter better. Thanks, and thank you also to the other people who reviewed!

Also, someone asked what a Bagon is. Well, it's a new Dragon-type from Ruby and Sapphire that has two evolutions. Not that Dain's is going to evolve… Oh no! I gave something away! Nooooo!

Hmm. Onto the story?

Soul of Dragons 

Chapter Two: Battle for the Badge 

Dain decided to camp for the night, just before entering Petalburg Woods. He built himself a campfire, and got out his sleeping bag. He then let out his Pokemon to help, thinking that they might enjoy the fresh air. Bagon managed to produce some marshmallows from who knew where, while Swablu collected sticks.

Dain looked at the marshmallows suspiciously, but Bagon stuck one on to a stick and began roasting it, leaning against a stump. 'Ba, Baaa.'

Dain grinned at the small Pokemon, then got his own marshmallow on a stick.

Swablu, as it turned out, didn't like marshmallows after one almost set her cotton wings on fire. Dain burst out laughing as Swablu ran around in circles, while Bagon chased her, shooting Water Guns at the little Pokemon.

For a while they sat next to the fire, looking at the stars. After about an hour, Dain noticed Bagon was sleeping in a small, dragon covered sleeping bag. The little Dragon, it seemed, had a lot of surprises up his sleeve.

Dain sat up for a while more, then drifted off to sleep.

***

In the morning, Dain collected his Pokemon and headed into the Petalburg Woods. 

The woods were dark, and it was easy to get lost. His foot suddenly bumped against something. 

He looked down, and saw a Poke Ball!

Grinning at his luck, he took the ball and continued on.

All of a sudden, a Pokemon blocked his path.

It was a Slakoth, a lazy Pokemon.

Deciding to try and catch it, Dain threw a ball.

'Go, Swablu!'

The cotton bud Pokemon appeared. 'Peck!'

Swablu launched itself at the Slakoth, and pecked it.

The Pokemon got back up, and attacked with Tackle.

Swablu was knocked to the ground, and Dain could see it was badly injured…

Slakoth attacked once again, and almost KO'd Swablu.

The smaller bird could barely get up. Suddenly, though, Swablu turned its head, and blew a blue fire at Slakoth. This was Dragon Rage, a Dragon type attack!

Slakoth swayed, and Dain threw his newly acquired Poke Ball at it.

The ball sucked up Slakoth and landed.

It turned once, than with a soft PING! The ball mechanism snapped into place.

Dain picked up the ball and grinned as he punched the air in triumph. He had caught a Slakoth!

Continuing on through the forest, Dain noticed the trees were beginning to clear. Her was making it out.

Leaving the forest, Dain noticed a large building with trees out the front.

As he approached it, a girl walked out of the building. She made her way to the trees and began watering them.

Dain approached her, and examined the trees.

'Excuse me, but what are these trees?' he asked.

The girl grinned. 'Hi! These are berry trees. They're found all over Hoenn. You see, all berries have a different effect. For instance, some cure sleep, while act as an antidote. Some are also used as ingredients as candy.' She said all this with one breath.

'Cool. Hey, can I try one?' Dain asked.

'Sure. Take them all, but don't forget to plant one. In fact, have this watering can to water all the berries. If you find berries in Hoenn, pick them, plant them, then water them.'

Dain took the can, and noticed it was foldable. Putting it in his backpack, he plucked the berries from the trees, then watched as the trees themselves disappeared. He took one of the berries, and planted it. He did the same for the other. 

'Bye,' the girl called to him.

'See ya.' he replied, and walked on.

After a while, he came to a bridge. In the distance, he could see the lights of Rustboro City. He was almost there!

Hurrying on, Dain crossed the bridge, and noticed the sun had almost set. He must have been in the forest longer than he thought.

He came to the other side, and ran on, eager to get to the Pokemon Center and a good night's sleep.

Finally, he reached the center and healed his Pokemon.

'Umm, excuse me, but do you know where I may find a room for the night?' Dain asked one of the many Nurse Joys.

'We can get you a room here, if you like,' the nurse replied.

Dain nodded. 'Sure!'

'Ok. Your room is through that door, the eighth on the right.'

Dain thanked her, and walked through the door she had indicated.

***

'Our mission is to battle anyone we see. When we find the one with the Soul of Dragons, we will know this.'

***

Dain set his pack down on the bed, and released his Pokemon.

'Right. I think you guys need some names. You know, for moral suppor-'

Bagon, who was shaking his head, cut him off. 'Baa, Ba, Baaa, Baa, Baagon.'

He didn't need a translator to know Bagon had just very strongly refused. It was rather obvious from the small dragon's face. 

'Ok, little one, no nickname for you.'

Swablu, however, looked interested. 'Swa, Swaa, Swablu?'

'Well, at least you seem to be enthusiastic…now to think of a good name… Swabbie?' Swablu shook her head. 'Umm…Blues?' Shake. 'Lulu?' Definite shake. 'Wabes?' Shake. 'Swabina?' Shake. 'Missy?' Shake. 'Sierra?' Sha- Nod. Big nod.

'Ok, then, Sierra it is. And that should fit your other evolutions, too.'

Sierra nodded happily. 

Slakoth, Dain noticed, had promptly fallen asleep.

Deciding to get some sleep himself, he lay down, and closed his eyes.

***

Dain woke up early, excited about the prospect of his first Gym battle.

He headed to the center cantina, and had a quick breakfast of pancakes and syrup, followed by a not-so-quick trip to the bathroom as Bagon decided to get sick… Dain shuddered.

Finally they exited the center, and left in search of the Gym.

It wasn't hard to find, as it was a large, stone building.

This gave Dain an idea of what to expect inside.

He entered, and saw that he was right: the stadium was full of rocks.

At one end of the room, a light switched on.

A young women dressed in a uniform type dress stood there.

Dain presumed this was the Gym Leader, Roxanne.

'You have come to challenge me?' It was only half question.

Dain nodded.

'Very well. But do not expect to win. I, Roxanne, leader of the Rustboro City Gym, accept your challenge!'

_To be continued…_

Evil, evil cliffhanger…

But it's so fun to type cliffies!

Ok, I need some help. I need four very strong trainer profiles, each including one Legendary. The following Pokemon, however, are not allowed:

Groudon

Kyogre

Rayquaza

Regirock

Regice

Registeel

Latias

Latios

Mew

Only one of each type of Legendary allowed. If I get two requests for the same one, I'll use the first profile I get and ask the other to change the Legendary.

That's all on that subject.

Now I'm obsessed with Yu-Gi-Oh, which led to me being obsessed with Yami, which led to me being obsessed with Dark Magician's, so I've come up with a weird and twisted way to include one in my story. Find out next chapter!

Oh, and, of course, review. Pleeease?

*gives you Puppy Dog Eyes of Doom* Wait a second, I don't like dogs… Ok, then, Kitty Cat Eyes of Doom!


	3. Hope Renewed

Author's Note: Hello! I'm back! Not that I was away or anything…

Now enough craziness.

I'll need those profiles by… *checks mega-complicated watch, full of weird and unusual compartments and devices* chapter five! Not that tells you anything…

Also, thank you to Alakazam Trainer who has already sent in a profile! Your character will first be mentioned in this chapter, then further in chapter 5. Also, I hope I didn't overdo his cold nature… But it's so _fun_ to write about cold and evil characters! J

Ok, now, here is the chappie!

Onto the story!

***

Soul of Dragons

Chapter Three: Battle for the Badge, pt 2

***

'It shall be a two-on-two battle. Choose your Pokemon now,' said the referee of the match.

Roxanne threw a ball. 'Go, Geodude!'

Dain selected a ball, and threw it. 'Go, Sierra!'

His newly-named Swablu appeared, ready for battle.

'Geodude, Rock Throw!'

'Sierra, Dragon Rage!'

The two attacks met, and most of the boulders were destroyed. One, however, came through and hit Sierra.

The little bird stumbled, but stood up again.

'Sierra, Dragon Rage, now!'

The attack connected this time, and Geodude was thrown back.

Unfortunately, the rock Pokemon got back up, even though it was visibly weak.

'Geodude, Rock Tomb!'

Rocks seemed to float above Sierra as Geodude attacked with the Gym's signature move, throwing the Swablu back.

Once again the bird got up, only to fall again.

The bad match up had taken its toll.

'Swablu is unable to battle! Geodude wins the round!' the referee called.

'Sierra, return!' Dain called, and the Pokemon disappeared back into her ball. 'Go, Bagon!'

In a flash of light, the Dragon appeared.

'Bagon, Water Gun!'

The jet of water hit a surprised trainer, and an equally surprised Roxanne recalled him.

'Geodude is unable to battle! Bagon wins the round!' the referee called again.

'Ok, then, go Nosepass!'

A weird Pokemon, which looked like a rock with legs and a huge nose, appeared, and faced Bagon. 'Nosepass, Rock Slide!'

Dain knew he was in trouble. Dragon types were bad against rock. He was proven right when the attack connected, and Bagon was knocked back.

'Bagon! Are you all right!' Dain called, as the dragon slammed into the wall.

Bagon got up, and nodded.

'Bagon! Water Gun!'

Again the jet of water shot from Bagon's mouth.

With speed remarkable for something its size and weight, Nosepass dodged the attack.

'Nosepass, counter with Rock Tomb!'

Once again rocks fell from the ceiling, and floated above Bagon.

'Bagon, dodge it!'

The Dragon ran to escape the rocks, but one still hit him.

Bagon stumbled, but got back up.

'Nosepass! Finish it! Rock Slide!'

Once again the rocks rained down, but this time Bagon was unable to dodge it.

The Dragon fell, and Dain knew he had lost.

'Bagon is unable to battle! Roxanne wins the battle!' the referee declared.

Dain recalled Bagon, and left the Gym sadly.

***

Alan McNathan looked down at his Poke balls, remembering each and every capture.

Dragonite, evolved from a Dratini caught in the Dragon's Den.

Tyranitar, evolved from a Larvitar caught in Silver Cave.

Espeon, evolved from an Eevee given to him in Goldenrod City.

Mew, a rare and amazing Pokemon, met in Silver cave.

Typhlosion, evolved from his very first Pokemon.

And, of course, a Pokemon he had never seen before, one he assumed was a one-of-a-kind. He had simply named it the Dark Magician.

He motioned to the four trainers behind him.

'Come.'

***

Dain walked along the streets of Rustboro sadly, and headed for the Pokemon Center.

He healed his team, then went south to the small pond on the outskirts.

Sitting by the water, Dain watched the sun set, when a stream of water erupted from the surface and hit him in the face.

He looked down, and glared at the small Pokemon.

Then he got an idea.

***

'Landon, you look in Rustboro,' Alan ordered the white haired teenager.

Landon smiled, but it never touched his eyes. 'You can count on it,' he said in a cold voice, and exited the room.

When he left, Alan sighed.

***

Dain looked down and saw the Horsea.

Horsea was a Water type, and Water types were strong against Rock…

'Sierra, go!' The bird appeared in a flash of light.

'Go! Peck!' Sierra attacked, and Horsea was thrown back.

'Horseeea!'

The Horsea Tackled Sierra, then shot a Water Gun at her. It did minor damage, and Sierra spun around to face her opponent.

'Sierra, Dragon Rage!'

The blue flames billowed from Sierra's beak, and struck Horsea.

Horsea fell, and, luckily for Dain, ended up on the ground.

Dain unbuckled an Ultra Ball from his belt, and threw it at Horsea.

The Pokemon turned into energy, and got sucked into the ball.

The ball fell to the ground, turned once, twice, three times, then with a soft PING! the shutting mechanism fell into place.

As the ball closed, Dain got a strange sensation of being watched…

He shook it off, and picked the ball up and, with new hopes, returned to the Pokemon Center.

***

After getting his new Pokemon healed, he set off for some training.

Heading to the tunnel east of Rustboro, he found some Pokemon to battle.

A wild Whismur appeared, and attacked.

'Go! Horsea!'

Dain released his newest Pokemon.

'Horsea! Water Gun!'

The Pokemon, being Rock type, immediately fell.

Dain continued on in search of new battles.

***

Two hours later he returned to the Poke Center, exhausted.

He had gotten in quite a lot of training, and Bagon had learned a new attack, Iron Tail!

He instantly proceeded to his room, and fell asleep in seconds.

***

In the morning Dain entered the lobby, rubbing sleep from his eyes.

'Some breakfast, please,' he said, then stifled a jaw-cracking yawn.

Well, he _might_ have overdone it with the training…

He had some toast from breakfast, stopping Bagon before he ate too much again, and almost getting Sierra stuck to the wall in the process.

He left the center still smiling.

Now to see if his new Pokemon was up to the Gym!

***

Alan watched as the young trainer entered Rustboro Gym for what seemed to be a rematch.

He had also seen the trainer capture his Horsea yesterday, and thought he had a good chance.

***

Dain entered the Gym and once again felt like he was being watched.

He sighed, and continued into the arena.

Once again Roxanne sat at the far end of the hall.

'Roxanne,' Dain called, 'I challenge you to rematch!'

Roxanne leaped up, and landed on the floor crouching.

'You think you have a chance? I don't think so! I accept your challenge!'

_to be continued…_

Oh, I'm evil! Sooooo evil!

Btw, I still need those profiles, or no chappie five! *shakes finger under your nose*

You can email them to me at darkmagician_1992@hotmail.com (Go Dark Magician! Like my weird and insane way of adding him to the fic? Mwahahahahahahahahahahah!)

Two chappies up in two days! Amazing!

Also, the character Landon Wiley belongs to Alakazam Trainer. Thanks!

Well that's all for now, see ya next time!


	4. Battle for the Badge

I caught Groudon! On full health!! With an Ultra Ball!!!

Oh yes, meet my new muse! Arcaitan!

He's a Pokemon I made up!

Arcaitan (Arcy): Hi!

These are his statistics:

He looks sort of like Kyogre, but much larger. He's a Dragon-Ice type, and he knows Hyper Beam, Ice Beam, Outrage, and Thunderbolt! His back is blue with a jagged yellow lightning bolt, and his belly is cream coloured. He's got these weird crest things on his head, which he uses to shock people. His wings are huge, and they're blue with yellow spots.

Obsidian Blade pointed out that I put a double blank in between sentences. This is because I always wrote with one blank, but then I decided to save it as an html. thingy, and that automatically puts a line in between, so it ended up as two lines… I might change it one day when I have the time.

One more thing. Obsidian Blade also pointed out 1) that Rock _isn't _super effective against Dragon. (I was using Rayquaza, which is part Flying, so that's why it was super effective) and 2) Whismur isn't Rock type, but Normal. This is interesting, because I attacked with Leaf Blade (Grass) and it said super effective… Oh, well…

It seems my advertising course is working :D Anyway, when I said read my fic, I was only joking, but thanks for reading it anyway J

Arcy, could you do the Disclaimer?

Arcy: Sure! 

*so cute*

Disclaimer: opaltiger does not own Pokemon, Hoenn, Bagon, Swablu, any other Pokemon, but he _does_ own the Dragon Ball, and me! :D

Now here is Chapter Four!

Onto the story!

Soul of Dragons 

**Chapter Four: Battle for the Badge, pt3**

'This shall be a two-on-two Pokemon battle. Let the match begin!' the referee shouted, and Dain threw Horsea's Poke Ball.

'Go, Horsea!'

Horse emerged from her Poke Ball, and stood ready for battle.

Roxanne smiled. 'You come better prepared this time, I see. Well, you still can't win! Go, Geodude!' Her Rock type appeared on the field.

'Horsea! Use your Water Gun!'

'Geodude! Rock Slide!'

To any watchers, it sounded like 'water slide', but the two Pokemon managed to understand.

Horseas's Water Gun attack hit Geodude dead on, while rocks rained down on Horsea.

Both Pokemon took some damage, but they were ready for more.

'Horsea, jump in the air and use Bubble!'

Horsea jumped, and attacked with a stream of bubbles, dodging the last rocks.

'Geodude, Tackle!' Roxanne shouted, and the Pokemon shot at Horsea.

'Horsea, dodge!'

Horsea dodged out of the way, then sent a stream of water down and onto Geodude.

The rock Pokemon took major damage, but remained standing.

'Now, Geodude, use Rock Tomb!' Roxanne ordered.

As in the previous battle, rocks rose from the floor, and floated in the air.

'Horsea, dodge!' Dain shouted, but to no use. The attack crashed down, and while Horsea managed to avoid some of the falling boulders, many met their mark.

'Horseeea…'

'Horsea, are you OK?' Dain shouted worriedly, but Horsea got right back up.

'Go, Water Gun!' Horsea unleashed another Water Gun, and hit Geodude.

The Rock type, swayed, and collapsed.

'Geodude is unable to battle! Horsea wins the round!' the referee announced.

'Yes! Great job, Horsea!' 

'Horseeea!'

Roxanne smiled. 'Now, to meet an old friend… Go, Nosepass!'

Once again the nose Pokemon took to the field, looking for all the world like a walking rock.

But Dain knew better then to underestimate it.

'Nosepass, Tackle!'

Nosepass launched itself at Horsea, quicker then could be expected.

Horsea managed to partially dodge, but the attack still glanced off her.

'Horseea!'

Horsea looked up, a look of determination in her eyes.

'Horsea, Bubblebeam!'

A steady stream of bubbles bombarded Nosepass, but it refused to give up.

'Nosepass, Rock Slide!'

Rocks rained from above yet again, and came down to fall on Horsea.

The poor Water type looked up fearfully at the rocks plummeting towards her.

***

Alan looked towards Raven. 'Raven, you stay with me. I have a feeling we'll be meeting some old friends soon…'

***

The two Team Magma Grunts who had been sent ahead to scout smiled as they spotted red headed Blaze on the path ahead. They turned, and walked back down the path to tell Tabitha…

***

'Horsea, use Water Gun pointed at the floor!' Dain shouted.

Horsea pointed her head down, and shot out a full-power Water Gun. The water sent her jetting into the air, amazingly dodging the boulders.

'Now, use Water Gun!'

Horsea blasted yet another wave of water Nosepass's way.

The water hit, but Nosepass remained unshaken.

'Nosepass, Rock Tomb attack!' Roxanne commanded, and the Pokemon raised rocks into the air for the now-familiar move.

The rocks fell on Horsea, and before she could even begin to dodge buried her.

'Horsea!' Dain shouted, and looked nervously at the pile of rocks.

Slowly, Horsea poked her nose out. Then her head. And finally her body, lifting clear of the hole. Suddenly, Horsea opened her mouth and a _huge*_ stream of water erupted from her mouth, and hit Nosepass dead on. Dain could see the Rock type was almost down. He grinned. 

'Horsea, one more Hydro Pump to finish it off!'

One last blast of Water from Horsea, and Nosepass finally fell.

'Yes! Well done, Horsea! We did it!' Dain pumped his fist in the air.

Roxanne smiled. 'Well don-' she was cut off as Horsea began to glow with a white light.

She grew, spikes appearing from her head.

When the process was finished, a new Pokemon stood before Dain, larger than Horsea, and looking stronger, too.

Dain took out his PokeDex, and pointed it at the Pokemon.

'Seadra. The evolved form of Horsea, this Pokemon can shoot spikes to attack enemies.'

Dain looked at his new Seadra with awe.

Roxanne looked at him and smiled. 'As I was saying, before your Horsea here evolved, well done. You have earned the Stone Badge.' She handed Dain a round badge.

Dain took the badge and grinned. His first badge on the road to becoming a Pokemon Master!

He left the Gym in a much better mood than the day before, and headed for the Poke Center.

***

'Tabitha, we have spotted Blaze up ahead.' 

Tabitha smiled. 'Lead us to him.'

***

Blaze grinned as he walked down the path. It was a beautiful day.

Suddenly, five men appeared from the bushes. He turned, and saw another five.

Blaze grabbed the distress signal from his belt, and pressed the button, then looked at the man who was obviously their leader. 

'Who are you? What do you want with me?' 

***

Alan looked down at the device on his belt as it beeped. 'Raven!'

The dark haired girl turned to him. 'What is it?'

'Blaze. He's in trouble. Let's go!'

Together, they rushed out of the house, and towards Petalburg Woods.

***

Tabitha grinned. 'My name is Tabitha. I am a Team Magma Admin. As for what we want…' He grinned. 'We want your Pokemon. Go, Mightyena!'

The dark dog appeared, and growled at Blaze.

Behind him, Blaze could hear more Pokemon being released. In front of him, a Numel, a Zubat, a Golbat, and a Poochyena had materialized.

'Well, you ain't getting to me without a fight! Go, Sabre, Sacred!'

A Houndoom and Ho-oh appeared.

The Grunts seemed taken aback at the Legendary, but Tabitha growled. 'Attack!'

*huge compared to Horsea, that is. Ah, if anyone's confused, this is the asteriks from earlier on in the chappie.

To be continued… 

It seems I just _love_ cliffies! 

I still need one more profile!

Arcy: Yes! I'm appearing later in the story!

Well, see you all next time!


	5. Muddy Ways

I'm back with yet another chappie!

Please note that the characters Blaze, Raven, Landon, Mal, and Yuki belong to The Great Dooping Marauder, Obsidian Blade, Alakazam Trainer, The Evil Midget of Doom aka Dark Volvagia, and Keleri, respectively. 

Keleri, your character will appear this chappie or maybe next chappie, but for that wait she'll have quite an important role… Oh well, you'll see.

Wolf Youkai, your character will appear, but I don't know when.

Koriku, please update! (And use my character! Just kidding… Well, you can _us_e him, but you don't have to… But you_ can_ use him. Did you understand any of that?) Your story is sooo good. Just wanted to say that…

One _more _thing! I like the double line format… It looks good. Also, Blade, I'll try to improve my descriptions.__

I have twenty-one reviews! I feel loved! J

Also, to clear up matters, I am male, but happen to have an obsession with anything cute… Look! It's a tiger cub! Get it!

Arcy: Very good example, that. Anyway, I think the chappie should go up now…

Soul of Dragons 

By opaltiger

Chapter Five: Forest Encounter 

Dain walked out of the arena, still excited about his victory. A man stopped him just as he was about to leave.

'You have defeated the Gym Leader?' he asked.

Dain nodded, puzzled. The man handed him a drawstring bag. 'Apart from the badge, a victor receives these,' he explained.

Looking in the bag, Dain spotted some money, and a white cube with a number on it. Still puzzled, he looked for the man, but he had disappeared. Muttering about strange men, Dain headed of to the Pokemon Center.

On the, way he noticed a battle between some kid and a teenager whose hair was all white. Dain watched as the white-haired youth's Machamp finished the battle. As the Pokemon were recalled, Dain could have sworn that cool gaze focused on him. Turning, he hurried on.

***

'Mightyena, Faint Attack!' Tabitha shouted. His prized Pokemon disappeared, then re-appeared on the other side of the Houndoom, knocking it to the ground.

'Sabre, Flamethrower, Sacred, Fire Blast!' Blaze shouted, desperate, as the strong fire attacks yet again repelled even more attacks. Out of the ten Pokemon, he had defeated three, only to have their trainers send out others. Another attack slammed into Sabre, and the black dog fell. Blaze winced. 'Sabre, return! Go, Rados!' Another of his Pokemon appeared, a Gyarados.

Tabitha grinned. He knew all of Blaze's Pokemon. And he had come prepared. 'Mightyena, Thunderbolt!' He grinned as the Gyarados instantly fell under the barrage of lightning. It was only a matter of time before one of the five strongest trainers in the world would be no more.

'Tiscept, go!' A Sceptile appeared, and immediately shot out leaves at the nearest Pokemon. The Razor Leaf attack defeated a Numel, but it was quickly replaced by a Zubat, which in turn was caught in the full force of another Flamethrower. The bat fell, and a Poochyena appeared. Blaze sighed. This was never going to work.

***

Alan ran through the path into Petalburg Woods, Raven on his tail. They were almost there… Suddenly, a scene exploded in front of them. Ten Pokemon circled a Sceptile and a Ho-oh, who were protecting Blaze. Unhooking four Poke Balls from his belt and signalling Raven to do the same, Alan evened the odds.

***

Sitting in the bright lounge of the Poke Center, Dain waited for his Pokemon to be healed. Taking out the bag he had received, he once again looked at the contents: about five thousand in cash, and that box. Walking up to the counter, he looked at it thoughtfully. 'Excuse me,' he said.

The nurse behind the counter turned to him. 'Can I help you?' she asked.

'Yeah, I was just wondering what this was,' Dain answered, holding up the box.

The nurse smiled. 'Oh, that's a TM, or technical machine. You can use it to teach Pokemon new moves that they otherwise wouldn't have been able to learn. For example, this one, number thirty-one, is Rock Tomb.' She smiled again.

Dain, remembering the attack, put it into his pack. 'Thanks,' he replied, just as a Chansey returned with his Poke Balls. Taking them, he left the colourful Center, and began trying to figure out where to go now…

***

Tabitha smiled. Just a few more minutes now, and Blaze would be defeated…

Suddenly, eight Pokemon appeared. Startled, Tabitha thought he was just imagining it, but they were real. Two trainers stood behind them: One with  long, dark, raven hair, and one with short brown hair. He hissed. Raven and Alan.

'Tyranitar, Crunch, Espeon, Psychic!'Alan shouted. Tyranitar ran at the nearest opponent, and bit down hard. Espeon closed her eyes, and waves of Psychic power surrounded a Numel. Around him, Ravens Jolt was attacking with lightning, and Raazor with Razor Leaf. His own Pokemon were using their strongest attacks.

Turning around, the grunts in question threw all their Balls. Alan winced. It was going to become a full-scale battle.

Blaze, seeing an opening, rushed to join his fellows, and threw to other Poke Balls. 'Go Pedosha, Go, MushMush!'

Tabitha watched the assembled Pokemon. Taking two other Poke Balls from his belt, he threw them and a Camerupt and Crobat appeared. Watching his Grunts do the same, he observed the enemy Pokemon: A Jolteon, Tyranitar, Dragonite, Typhlosion, Victreebell, Nidoqueen, Breloom, Sharpedo, Ho-oh, Sceptile,  and two Espeons. This was not going to be easy. Not that anything was easy in his line of work. 'Camerupt, Eruption!' he ordered, and the battle really began.

***

Dain walked along the streets of Rustboro City, looking for someone to show him the way out. Eventually, he walked into a shop and up to the counter. 'Excuse me, do you sell maps?' he asked.

The man behind the counter looked at him. 'No, but we've got something better.' He pulled something out from under the counter. It looked sort of like a pocket watch, but with many buttons. 'This is a PokeNav. It's a very handy trainers tool. It has a map, keeps track of trainers you've battled, shows the condition of Pokemon when it comes to contest info, and records any ribbons your Pokemon have won. It can also transport items and Pokemon.'

Dain looked at him suspiciously. 'How much?' he asked.

The man smiled. 'Three thousand, my friend, it's on bargain.'

Dain sighed. 'Fine,' he said, and handed over the money. The shopkeeper gave him a blue PokeNav, along with a thick book of instructions on how to use it.

Dain thanked him, and left the shop. When he was outside, he checked the map. It told him… that he was stuck. The tunnel to the east was blocked, and the route to the north was apparently impassable. Only a small island town called Dewford was accessible. There was a boat on the other side of the Woods. Dain sighed. He didn't particularly like forests. He sighed again, then headed in the direction of the Woods.

***

*Still chasing frightened-looking tiger cub*

Sorry 'bout that. Also, I'll try to make the next chappie longer. I really will…

I know this isn't really the best of chapters, but it was a filler, basically.

Oh, well, at least I'm getting some things done…

Wolf Youkai, your character will hopefully appear in the next chapter, as will Keleri's. 

Also, I'm sorry but I can accept no more profiles. Sorry!

Well, that's it from me! See ya next time!


	6. Forest Encounter

opaltiger: *pants* I think I lost him...

Arcy: The cub? He's in that cave over there *points*

opaltiger: *runs into cave* 

Cue strange screams.

Arcy: Oh dear.

opaltiger: *runs out of cave, pursued by very angry tiger mother*

opaltiger: *sees Angry Reviewers of Doom* Aaaaah!

Angry Reviewers of Doom: Update!

opaltiger: Okay, okay! I'm updating, I'm updating... jeez...

ARD: *pull out sharp poky thingies*

opaltiger: Arcy! Quick, the homemade shield generator!

Arcy: *gives generator one final tweak with tools* Here!

opaltiger: I am safe! Hahahahaha! *shield generator brakes* ha...ha...ha?

Arcy: Okay, here's Opy's reason for not updating in the last four months: extreme case of writer's block, huge family emergency, chaos. Oh, and I'm just the messenger...

***

It was muddy. It always seemed to be muddy in the forest. Dain sighed, and scolded himself yet again for choosing this God forsaken forest path.

Looking around, all he could see were trees, and mud. Endless and endless mud. Hoisting his pack onto his shoulders, Dain heaved another sigh and continued down the forest path. About one hundred metres later, he came upon a small rock, which, for a change, was not covered in mud.

He sat down to rest, and to check his PokeNavs map. He was about one kilometre away from the edge. _Fun,_ he thought, _more mud._

One last sigh, and he continued on the path through the forest.

***

Unbeknownst to Dain, about five hundred metres away from him a huge battle was taking place.

Alan sighed. They weren't getting anywhere like this. Magma had obviously brought hundreds of Pokemon, much more than regulations stated. They were trying to overwhelm him with sheer numbers. And it would work, too. His only chance now was to hope someone came along to help. But who… There was no one around he could rely on. He had called his last trainers in hours ago, and still the Magma numbers didn't lessen. They needed reinforcements, and quickly. 

***

If you've seen one forest, you've seen 'em all. At least in Dain's opinion. There was one key component to a forest, it seemed: mud. He needed some company.

Taking the PokeBall from his belt, Dain released Bagon.

The little dragon took one look at the mud, and instantly jumped onto his trainer's backpack.

Dain grinned evilly. 'If  I'm being tortured, so are you,' he said, and laid the Pokemon on the ground.

'Ba Bagon Ba…' Bagon grumbled.

And so they walked on. Suddenly, Dain heard sounds of battle ahead. Hurrying on, he walked into the biggest fight he had ever seen. One side consisted of trainers dressed in the colours of Magma, the other consisted of five trainers battling with all their Pokemon. It was a wild, unpredictable battle.

And in that second, Dain got an amazing idea: RUN!!!!! But, alas, there were no gaps in the fighting, and even if there were, he was talking around fifty Pokemon. All attacking at the same time. 'Nuff said. He had two choices: fight, or go back. Through mud. Strangely enough, surprising even himself, Dain opted to fight.

Tapping the nearest trainer on the shoulder, he pulled out his remaining Poke Balls.

***

'Can I help?'

Alan turned around in surprise to find a young, dark haired, blue-eyed teenager with a Bagon at his feet looking at him. In his hands were three Poke Balls. For a moment Alan just stared stupidly. If this were a trick… No. He needed all the help he could get. 'I appreciate the offer, but it could be dangerous…' he finally said.

The boy nodded. 'I know. Unfortunately, it's also blocking my only way out.'

This was exactly what Alan had wanted from the start. 'OK, if you're sure,' he said. 'Just one thing: what's your name?'

'Dain,' was the curt reply, already in the process of throwing his Poke Balls. In a flash, a Slakoth, Seadra, and Swablu appeared, turning to face the horde of Pokemon before him. 

***

Blaze looked around helplessly, watching the crowd of Numels and Poochyenas close in on his Pokemon. He, being in the middle of the fight, had no other Pokemon other than his to help. His Pokemon were strong, but they couldn't keep this up forever. He knew trouble when he saw it. There was no way out. The Numels were within attacking distance now, and one of them opened its mouth to attack – and was hit by a blast of water, coming from somewhere in the vicinity of Alan.

Another icy-cold blast erupted, sending another miniature camel of its feet. Turning, Blaze spotted a Seadra, blasting away at the Pokemon around him. He frowned. No one in their group had a Seadra… Then he saw the small, twelve year old shouting orders to his Pokemon. Blaze frowned again. Who was he?

***

Ten minutes later, it was all over. Team Magma had been thrown into confusion by Dain's arrival, and even now Bagon was attacking their last Pokemon with his newly learnt Dragonbreath attack.

Alan walked over to Dain, his brow wet with sweat. 'We owe you, Dain,' he said. 'If you hadn't come when you did we wouldn't have stood a chance… I wish there was some way to reward you… Ah! Here, take this. He is a Pokemon I caught recently, but I think he would be much better off with you.*' Alan handed Dain a Poke Ball, gasping for breath. He had said all that without pause.

Dain accepted the Poke Ball, wondering what was inside, when he abruptly fainted.

***

Dain woke up to find himself in darkness, only a small circle of light where he was lying. _Ryukon, _a voice seemed to whisper. _I have brought the one with the Soul before you._ And suddenly Dain could feel a strange sensation, like a thousand ants crawling up his body-

***

Dain opened his eyes again to find he was alone, outside the forest, with what seemed like hard wood beneath him. And staring down at him was a kind-looking old man, with clothes Dain had begun to associate with sailors.

'Are you all right, lad?' he asked. 'I found you here when I was about to set sail.' He indicated something outside Dain's field of vision, and the young trainer turned his head to see a rather large boat anchored nearby.

'Yes,' Dain mumbled looking around. 'I suppose I must have fallen asleep in the sun.' He knew how ridiculous it sounded, but the old man just smiled.

'Well that's good then! And, if I my ask, where are you bound?'

Dain thought trying to remember the details of his PokeNav. 'Dewford Town, I think.'

'Then you're in luck! I'm about to set sail to Dewford. You see, I transfer trainers from here to Dewford and onwards. It's what I do. So, how about it?'

Dain looked again at the large boat. It was as good an idea as any. 'Sure,' he replied.

'Call me Mr. Briney,' said the man, and moments later he Dain, and a few other trainers were on the ship, headed for Dewford.

To be continued… 

*I know, I know, typical Pokemon-game-reward-sentence, but I couldn't come with any better. Shows how creative _I_ am.

Phew. Finally got around to finishing that. Sorry people, but I truly have had a bad time since October…

Anyway, I'm evil!!! I didn't tell you what Pokemon he got! A clue: it's not a dragon! 

Also, no more new Pokemon for Dain for ages!

Just out of curiosity, anyone have a favourite character yet? Mine's actually the new Pokemon, plus a Dragonair that shall make an appearance in about Chapter Ten. I gave that away since all good Dragon Trainers need Dragonair's. So that's it, until next time-

opaltiger


	7. Shipwrecked

Wheee! Another update! That's always good. I know last chapter's battle wasn't very believable, since Dain only had four Pokemon. So how could he turn the tide, you ask? That's for me to know and for you to find out! :D

And, of course, sorry for not updating sooner. Had computer trouble, and this chapter was hard to write.

And now, with no further ado, let the chapter begin!

**Chapter Seven**

**Shipwrecked**

The boat cut through water at amazing speeds, spraying surf in all directions.

Dain stood at the very front of the boat, letting water droplets fall on him. He had always enjoyed sea travel. Behind him, relaxing on various lounging chairs, were the other trainers who were also travelling to Dewford. They were mostly rookies like himself, but one or two experienced trainers were also to be seen.

In fact, Dain suspected one of them might even be a Pokemon Master. She definitely had an aura of power around her, what with a Seviper draped around her neck.

Then, rather stupidly, Dain realised he hadn't even had a look at the Pokemon Alan had given him. Taking out the Poke Ball, he enlarged it and pressed the button.

In a stream of red light, the Ball opened and out popped what appeared to be a giant mantis. Namely, a Scyther. Except that this Scyther was a dark green, like the colour of a rainforest.

Dain stared at the Pokemon in awe. 'Well, not exactly what I expected… You're beautiful…' he murmured.

'Scy! Scytheeer!' the mantis Pokemon said, slashing its scythes experimentally. Dain grinned at the Pokemon, and, leaving it to enjoy some time out of its - _no, _Dain thought, _his_ - Pokeball. Moving to the aft of the boat, Dain watched the white foam left behind by the propellers. 'It's a beautiful day…' Dain whispered, not aware he had spoken aloud.

_Indeed it is,_ a voice told him. Dain spun around, but could see only Scyther standing a few metres away, staring at the ocean. Dain shook his head. He was hearing things.

'We should reach Dewford in about two hours, at this rate.' The voice of Briney rang through the air. Dain looked up at where the old captain was standing at the helm.

All of a sudden, Dain stumbled, nearly falling into the water. He barely had time to hold onto the railing. _Have to be more careful, _Dain scolded himself, _I could have easily fallen in. _Then the ship shook, and Dain knew his carelessness was not to blame. All over the ship, trainers were looking up, as if expecting to see lightning clouds above them. But the sky was blue as ever.

Then the water ahead of him churned. Dain looked over the edge, trying to see what was underneath that glassy surface-and suddenly jerked back as SOMETHING, something huge, erupted out of the water. Dain stared in awe as the long, green, creature dove back into the water. He was brought back to reality by screams, then a shudder as the thing hit the ship. Dain hastily recalled his Pokemon. He clipped the Poke Balls to his belt, but it was too late. The Pokemon, for that was what it must be, slammed into the ship from underneath, and Dain fell head first into the ocean, salty water stinging his eyes. Before he blacked out, Dain heard a voice in his head, a tremendous boom like that of a god.

_Beneath the mirrored surface, look for the twin dragons to return to safety._

(insert three asterickses; ffnet doens't like the triple thingy)

Icy cold seawater stung Dain's eyes as he opened eyelids that seemed to weigh at least a tonne. Opening his mouth to take a breath, Dain could taste more water. Kicking madly, he rose to the surface, and had time only to take a deep breath until the undertow of a huge wave caught him and plunged him back underwater. But Dain had swum for hours as a child. Propelling himself upwards, he broke the surface of the water and took another breath. Looking around, Dain could only spot waves and sharp, dark rocks. Bracing himself, the teen took a deep breath and dived beneath the surface once more, remembering the lost Poke Balls. There: four red-white spheres slowly sank to the bottom of the ocean. Thrusting himself forwards with powerful strokes of his muscular arms, Dain caught up to the Poke Balls, and clipped them securely to his belt. Only now could he begin to remember the boat, falling off and that strong, booming voice in the second before he fell into the ocean.

_Beneath the mirrored surface, look for the twin dragons to return to safety._

The words were cryptic, as if someone had presumed their recipient would know exactly what they meant.

Dain started to rise to the surface, but a strange out-of-place pesa of corral caught his eyes. Then his head rose above the waves, and he took another deep breath. But the small mountain of corral beneath the surface intrigued him. Grasping one of the Poke Balls from his hand, Dain threw the sphere and Seadra emerged, floating on the waves with no visible effort whatsoever.

'Can you-' the words came out as a croak, and he tried again. 'Can you take me underwater?'

Seadra nodded, and Dain clambered onto her back, a moment later feeling water engulf him once more. Down they went, and Dain could see the mountain, the corral rising from the soft sand of the seabed. And there, on the side, was carved a strange plateau, that looked almost as if made by human hands. As Seadra deposited him there, Dain could feel a theoretically impossible shift of gravity, and suddenly the sea did not pull him up towards the surface anymore. Rather, it seemed he was standing on firm ground. But his lungs were starting to burst, and he walked forward, only to discover a curious hollow in the wall, slightly larger than Dain. A small, circular protrusion sat in its center, something that looked remarkably like a doorknob...Dain brushed at the algae and lichen that covered its surface. His lungs felt like they were going to explode. But then, a carving began to appear, as Dain brushed aside more of the seaweed. It portrayed twin dragons twined around an arch, and a large tree shadowing them.

Wait... _Twin dragons..._ Dain pushed at the knob, right below the curve of the arch, and the door opened inwards, depositing him into what lay beyond, and then he was falling, as water rushed in behind him. Then he heard the door shut, and he was in a pool of water, Seadra beside him. His neck prickled with the sense of someone watching him, and he slowly opened his eyes...

_To be continued..._

Muahahahaha! Evil me! Cliffhanger! Anyways, sorry once again for the long update, but it's a large update...And the plot of the story is beginning to unravel...Anyways, please leave a review and read the next chapter. :D Also, a pesa is a small, flat-topped mountain usually found in deserts.

Arcy: -is waiting for flames, to cook his hamburgers-

Heh, you don't need to flame! lights fire with his match for Arcy See?

Anyways, until next chapter, -falls unconscious-


	8. Sanctuarii

Yeah, sanctuary is spelt wrong. Blame the book I just finished :P Oh and Arcy wont be joining us today because he is currently trying to make up an excuse for banging me over the head with his cooking pot. glares

Also, ffnet doesn't like asterickses and not always hyphons. So, instead of asterickses I'll use hyphons. If those don't work, brackets'll do.

Anyways, I'd like to introduce my two new muses: Bahi the Bahamut (if you don't know what a Bahamut is, get FFX) and Bob the Balrog (If you don't know what a Balrog is, then...Well, then you'd better read Lord of the Rings or watch the movies sometime soon)

Bahi: -hides behind a pillar-

Bob: -tries to hide behind his flame-whip thingy, without much success-

Shy, aren't they? :P Anyways, let us start!

**Chapter Eight **

**Sanctuarii**

Out of the darkness, red eyes glared at Dain as he struggled to get up, feeling bruised all over from the fall. The pool on which he now sat was shallow, and the hole in the ceiling from which he had so un-ceremoniously arrived was two metres up. He could see a bleeding cut on his left ankle. The wound stung, but he didn't notice as he gazed into the shadows, more than a bit frightened. As a sinuous figure began to materialize from the darkness, Dain had visions of sea serpents and other monsters, but what actually appeared was a small Dratini.

'Dra?' Dra, tini tini?' As he heard the Pokemon speak, a voice echoed in his head. _Who are you? What do you want?_

Dain looked at the small dragon curiously, thinking how best to answer. 'I was shipwrecked, then my Seadra brought me here. I seek to find a way back to the mainland, or Dewford Town,' he said. His voice was strangely calm.

As he said this, the shadows lightened and dissolved, as a bright light flooded the chamber. And chamber it was. Coral made up what he lay on, and the ledge upon which dozens of Dragon Pokemon stood, gazing at him. It ringed the chamber, a catwalk surrounding a clear lake, some fifty metres across and stretching down about twenty metres. Tunnels and caves branching of promised more secrets to be had in this underwater kingdom. A tall pillar, extending all the way to the ceiling, crowned the center of the lake. Beneath its glossy surface, more Dragons swam, as well as multi-coloured fish, giving the entire chamber an aura of life.

Staring at this strange yet beautiful spectacle, Dain hardly noticed the stares of Dratinis, Dragonairs, Dragonites, and some species he could not identify. He was certain his PokeDex wouldn't be able to, either.

_Impossible. No mere mortal can make it into Sanctuarii. Who are you? How did you get here?_

This time it was a Dragonite who spoke.

'My name is Dain Evrai, I'm a Pokemon trainer. As to how I got here, I have no idea! I blacked out, and when I awakened I was falling into the sea with no boats in sight. I dived underwater and saw this place – when I saw the twin dragons on the door, I knew to come here-' he stopped, as the Dragonite looked at him strangely.

_No human should know the symbol of Ryukon's arch._

'Just before I fainted, a voice told me to seek the twin dragons to return to safety,' Dain answered. 'I figured those were the dragons it mentioned.'

_How did your ship sink?_

Dain frowned, trying to remember. 'Something attacked us – it looked like a huge green serpent,' he said.

The assembled dragons shuffled, and muttered under their breaths. Dain could only catch the words 'Soul of Dragons' and 'Ryukon' repeated again and again. The Dragonite looked at him with an expression Dain could not understand. Awe, or shock perhaps

_My name is Xannon. I am Leader of the Dragonites here. I will take you to the elders. Nisha, Shae, Namir. Accompany us._

Three Dragonairs broke away from the group and fell in step- with Dain and the tall Dragonite, Xannon. Dain followed them to the edge of the lake, then wondered where they were about to go. When one of the Dragonairs swept his tail at his feet, Dain had barely time to take a breath before falling into the lake.

Following Xannon and the trio of Dragonairs, Dain swam through this underwater kingdom, observing as dragons played and talked outside small caves. There were two Dragonairs watching three Dratinis play, including one who was trying in vain to ram a small, swift fish. Following his gaze, Xannon laughed.

_That's young Nyack. His name is true to his nature. It means won't give up._

If he could have, Dain would have chuckled. But he was running out of air, and there was no stop in sight. Just as he was about to start swimming back, they entered a tunnel and he found, luckily, that it had an air pocket at the top of the ceiling. Surfacing, he took a deep breath and dived back down. They continued in this manner until Dain's legs began to ache, and he was running out of air again. He resurfaced for air, just as a pitch-black shape swam underneath him. Curious, he refilled his lungs, then submerged just as the shape turned a bend in the tunnel. He started to follow, but Xannon stopped him.

_That was Nox. You_ don't_ wanna get on her bad side._

Dain shrugged, but the gesture was harder to pull off underwater without rising to the ceiling than he expected--.

A few moments later, they emerged into a vast chamber, almost as big as the entrance hall. In the center, an island made of stone, rather can corral, floated with no apparent means of support. On the island, three Dragonairs lay, and Dain could sense that they were old, older than any he'd encountered so far. The elders Xannon had spoken of, he guessed. Dain was broken out of his thoughts by Xannon, who was talking to the elders.

I bring before you the one that is destined. The one with the Soul, the one who carries Ryukon's blessing. This is Dain Evrai.

-I know Dragonairs don't have feet. But what was I meant to say? Glide? Slide? Fly? You get the point :P

--I tried. After all, I am on holiday. :D

_To be continued…_

Oooh! Another semi-cliffhanger! And do I smell a whiff of plot in the air? :P

Bob and Bahi: -are engaged in an argument about whether Bob looks better in green or purple-

I told you they got chatty. :P Anyways, I like this chapter. nods 'Tis plot-filled. And I introduce lots of characters. Anyways, don't have anything to say, 'Cept that it was my birthday on the 12th of August! YAY! Anyways, hope you liked this chapter, please review, and next one shall be up shortly. :D


	9. Elders' Prophecy

Ooooh, cool chapter title. :P Yeah. By the way, the reason all the names in these next few chapters start with either n or s is 'cause I only had those letters of available offline. :P Anyways, I like this chapter, very plotty and mysterious. :D

There's also a funny scene involving three baby dratinis. :D

**Chapter Nine**

**Elders' Prophecy**

The Dragonairs on the platform regarded him curiously. Then one spoke, and Dain heard the voice, not in his head, but coming out of the middle Pokemon's mouth.

'Tell me, human, how did you enter Sanctuarii's domain?' he asked.

Dain, shock evident on his face, cleared his throat. 'Well, my ship was caught in a storm and I went over board. I blacked out for a few seconds, and when I woke up I was in the waters above this place,' he said, more nervously then he had spoken to the other dragons.

The middle dragon smiled. 'I see you are confused by our mastery of your language,' he said.

Dain nodded, wondering how they had known what he was thinking.

'But onto more pressing matters. Let me introduce myself. I am the High Elder of Sacntuarii. My name is Skyler. He,' - he indicated the dragon on his right - 'is Seiko, and she,' - the dragon on his left - 'is Satya, his twin sister. Together we are the Elders, for we are truly the oldest of Sanctuarii's residents.'

'But I still don't see why I was brought here,' Dain replied.

The left dragon, Satya, spoke. 'There is a prophecy passed down among our kind, a prophecy which speaks of a leader to command, and ultimately destroy us.'

Skyler nodded. 'I suppose it's best he hears it for himself,' he declared. The Dragonair swished his tail, and suddenly Dain heard a sound. A song, it seemed to be, but as he listened closely ho could tell it was in a language he had never heard before. Where the sound originated, he had no clue.

_'Draconis alt esniav te liarten haval sorien geas, ried teh lucios solis mor i trans oceana isenfelt. I trans Sanctuarii fa aurum et desnias, potestas et sul. I desnias et an destran et comm teh draconis._

_Excelsa eon isa un agin et teh Sul a Draconis plat te farcri sin. Et isa teh armageddon isa draconis sulm cim ot asp._

_Et unc agin the geas et cosmos b wrot iw mor.'_

'Well,' Skyler commented, 'I don't suppose that helped much. It is in the ancient language of dracon – a language only our people now speak, and then rarely. Roughly translated, it means:

For dragons to once again live this earth, look for the dying light of sun and he comes from the icy ocean. He comes to Sanctuarii seeking gold and destiny, power and soul. He is destined to lead and destroy the dragons.

High is the age when again the Soul of Dragons foils the nobles' sin. And is this the death of it all, for dragons wreak destruction.

And once again the earth and the universe shall balance, the power gone.'

Dain made a face. 'I see what you mean by rough. What does it mean? And where do I come in?'

Seiko winced. 'Well, it just so happened the sun was setting when you arrived, which could have been translated into the sun's death…' The Dragonair trailed off as Dain began to realize what he meant.

'And you did arrive from the sea, although whether it was icy we don't know. Then again, the word 'isenfelt' literally translated means 'field of ice' and the nearest are at the edge of Sanctuarii's territory.' Satya finished for her twin. She considered. 'Hmm, then again, 'oceana isenfelt' could be translated as ice fields of the ocean,' she finally said. 'As you can see, dracon is no easy language.'

'What I don't understand is the phrase 'I trans Sanctuarii fa aurum et desnias, potestas et sul', for there is no gold in Sanctuarii…' Skyler interjected. 'Perhaps it is best you leave us. Once we have come to a decision, we will call upon you.' With a curt nod to the Xannon and the three Dragonair guards, which was obviously dismissive, Dain and his escorts left the elders' chamber.

The journey back was uneventful, and Dain was getting a bit uncomfortable in the saltwater, so it came as a relief when they finally surfaced in the Great Hall, the chamber he had arrived in. The crowd of Dragons had dispersed, but Dain could hear the shouts of three young Dratinis as they played on a small island in the pristine-clear lake.

_Where's that fish gone?_

_Umm, Nyack, you're not underwater anymore, ya know._

_So? Some fish can live outside of water!_

_Just because they exist doesn't mean they're here. Tell him, Sanura._

_Oh no, Nenet, keep me out of this._

Dain smiled, remembering his own days as a child. Then the voice of an adult was added to the mix.

_Children, lunchtime!_

_Coming, mum!_ That was Nenet, if he understood correctly.

_Be right there, Miss Nenet's Mum Nen._ Sanura.

_Ow!_ Nyack had crashed straight into a rock, in his eagerness to eat.

Dain remembered his own house, a two-story affair, in the forest between Littlewood and Oldale.

_The elders will meet with you again now._

The voice of Xannon broke Dain out of his thoughts. With an exasperated noise, he dived into the water. Once again they swum through the corral tunnels of Sanctuarii, until finally emerging once again in the elders' chamber.

'We have come to a decision,' said Skyler.

'The prophecy indeed speaks of you,' added Satya.

'You shall leave this place with the barest of memories,' Seiko finished.

'And let destiny tale its course upon you,' all three intoned.

Dain felt himself slip into unconsciousness for the third time in as many days. When he awoke, he remembered nothing.

_To be continued…_

Hehe. ANOTHER semi-cliffhanger. :P Hope you all like the plot.

Btw, the format of these three chappies is now default – I'll get around to editing the others soon.

Also, all the dragon names in these chapters mean something. Here's the list –

Naiya – Water Nymph (F) – Nyack's mother

Namir – Swift Cat (E) – Young Dragonair (male – guard)

Neith – Divine Mother (F) – Nenet's mother

Nen – Ancient Waters (M) Nenet's father

Nenet – Goddess of the Deep (F) – Dratini (information witheld)

Nisha – Night (F) Young Dragonair (guard)

Nox – Goddess of the Night (E) Pitch black scary lady (Dragonair)

Nyack – Won't Give Up (M) – Baby Dratini

Sanura – Kitten (F) – Nyack's playmate

Satya – Truth (F) - Elder

Seiko – Force, Truth (M) - Elder

Shae – A Gift (E) – Young Dragonair (male - guard)

Skyler – Learned One (E) – Elder (male)

Xannon – Ancient God (E) – Dragonite Leader

Hope that helps. And, until chapter ten, cya.


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